Woensdagavond met Chrono · Finale Race⏱ 52 min

The Finale endurance race at First Kart 'Inn (FKI) in Machelen brought together 8 teams over 52 minutes on the Kart Track. At the end of a competitive and closely-fought contest, Kilian Kokken (kart #9) crossed the line first with 13 laps completed, taking victory by just 3.332 seconds over Karel Coetsiers (kart #4) and 5.445 seconds over Lucas Bessot (kart #6). The top three were separated by less than six seconds, making for a tight finish at the front of the field.

Frédéric Van Driel (kart #2) secured 4th place at 17.426 s, ahead of Gianni Gentile (kart #7, +32.094 s) and Greg Vermeersch (kart #8, +35.235 s). Robbe W. (kart #5) finished 7th at 36.591 s. Kevin B. (kart #3) completed 11 laps, finishing two laps down in 8th. Every team registered one pit stop during the race. The fastest lap of the race was set by Karel Coetsiers in a time of 1:02.432.

Analysing the pure pace data, Kilian Kokken posted the strongest median lap time of the field at 1:03.138, confirmed by an exceptional standard deviation of just 0.28 s — the best consistency figure across all competitors. His sole stint of 10 laps was remarkably stable throughout, illustrating total control of tyre management and race pace.

Karel Coetsiers was the second-fastest in pure pace (median 1:03.452) and set the outright fastest lap of the event (1:02.432), yet a higher variability (σ = 0.71) compared to Kokken explains the gap at the finish line. Lucas Bessot, ranked 3rd in both pace and result (median 1:03.581), made effective use of a two-stint strategy — his second stint of 7 laps produced a better median (1:03.105) and improved consistency (σ = 0.56), suggesting a well-timed pit stop.

Gianni Gentile is the most notable case of a driver whose final position (5th) did not reflect his pure pace: his median of 1:03.839 placed him 4th in pace ranking, ahead of Van Driel. Conversely, Frédéric Van Driel finished 4th despite ranking only 5th in pure pace (median 1:04.316), suggesting that strategy or pit stop timing worked in his favour.

At the back, Kevin B. was the hardest hit by tyre or pace degradation, losing 0.35 s per lap across his stint with the highest variability of the field (σ = 1.45), finishing two laps adrift. Greg Vermeersch and Robbe W. shared a similar pace tier (medians around 1:05.6), with Vermeersch showing greater inconsistency (σ = 0.97 vs 0.68).

Key takeaways for teams: On this circuit, consistency over raw speed proved decisive — Kokken won on pace control rather than outright lap time. Teams capable of delivering a stable, degradation-free stint gain significant ground over faster but less consistent rivals. The Bessot two-stint strategy also demonstrated that a well-executed pit stop can unlock a better second-half rhythm. Managing the last laps of each stint remains the critical variable at First Kart 'Inn Machelen.